US3996469A - Floating convection barrier for evaporation source - Google Patents

Floating convection barrier for evaporation source Download PDF

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Publication number
US3996469A
US3996469A US05/538,881 US53888175A US3996469A US 3996469 A US3996469 A US 3996469A US 53888175 A US53888175 A US 53888175A US 3996469 A US3996469 A US 3996469A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
matrix
uranium
vapor
melt
vaporized
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US05/538,881
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English (en)
Inventor
George Sargent Janes
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Jersey Nuclear Avco Isotopes Inc
Original Assignee
Jersey Nuclear Avco Isotopes Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Jersey Nuclear Avco Isotopes Inc filed Critical Jersey Nuclear Avco Isotopes Inc
Priority to US05/538,881 priority Critical patent/US3996469A/en
Priority to AU87884/75A priority patent/AU508034B2/en
Priority to IL48720A priority patent/IL48720A/xx
Priority to SE7514744A priority patent/SE7514744L/sv
Priority to NL7515181A priority patent/NL7515181A/xx
Priority to DE19752559065 priority patent/DE2559065A1/de
Priority to GB53292/75A priority patent/GB1534140A/en
Priority to CA242,882A priority patent/CA1043874A/en
Priority to IT47526/76A priority patent/IT1052892B/it
Priority to FR7600083A priority patent/FR2296457A1/fr
Priority to ES444100A priority patent/ES444100A1/es
Priority to BE163325A priority patent/BE837327A/xx
Priority to CH7076A priority patent/CH603225A5/xx
Priority to JP51000103A priority patent/JPS5193781A/ja
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3996469A publication Critical patent/US3996469A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H01ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01JELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS
    • H01J37/00Discharge tubes with provision for introducing objects or material to be exposed to the discharge, e.g. for the purpose of examination or processing thereof
    • H01J37/30Electron-beam or ion-beam tubes for localised treatment of objects
    • H01J37/305Electron-beam or ion-beam tubes for localised treatment of objects for casting, melting, evaporating, or etching
    • H01J37/3053Electron-beam or ion-beam tubes for localised treatment of objects for casting, melting, evaporating, or etching for evaporating or etching
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B01PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
    • B01DSEPARATION
    • B01D59/00Separation of different isotopes of the same chemical element
    • B01D59/34Separation by photochemical methods
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23CCOATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C14/00Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
    • C23C14/22Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the process of coating
    • C23C14/24Vacuum evaporation
    • C23C14/243Crucibles for source material
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23CCOATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C14/00Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
    • C23C14/22Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the process of coating
    • C23C14/24Vacuum evaporation
    • C23C14/28Vacuum evaporation by wave energy or particle radiation
    • C23C14/30Vacuum evaporation by wave energy or particle radiation by electron bombardment
    • CCHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C23COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; CHEMICAL SURFACE TREATMENT; DIFFUSION TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL; INHIBITING CORROSION OF METALLIC MATERIAL OR INCRUSTATION IN GENERAL
    • C23CCOATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL
    • C23C14/00Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material
    • C23C14/22Coating by vacuum evaporation, by sputtering or by ion implantation of the coating forming material characterised by the process of coating
    • C23C14/24Vacuum evaporation
    • C23C14/32Vacuum evaporation by explosion; by evaporation and subsequent ionisation of the vapours, e.g. ion-plating
    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02EREDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00Energy generation of nuclear origin
    • Y02E30/10Nuclear fusion reactors

Definitions

  • This invention relates to vapor sources and in particular to an electron beam vapor source having a floating matrix in the melt of evaporant.
  • Laser enrichment as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,519 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 328,954, filed Feb. 2, 1973 and Ser. No. 469,407, filed May 13, 1974 (incorporated herein by reference) typically employs a flowing uranium vapor which has been generated by electron beam techniques as the environment to which isotopically selective laser radiation is applied to produce excitation of a desired isotope type. Ultimately, ionization of the isotope type and separate collection thereof based upon the ionized charge is achieved in these techniques.
  • the electron beam vapor source has the advantage of limiting vaporization to a spot or line along the surface of a uranium melt typically contained within a crucible. Since high efficiency is desired for lower power consumption, as well as high evaporant flow rates with state of the art electron beam techniques, it has been suggested that a material be added to the uranium melt to impede the flow of convection currents normally encountered in the melt. Such an impedance barrier provides a great advantage in reducing heat loss through convection.
  • a melt for an electron beam vapor source wherein a matrix, applied to the melt to impede the flow of liquefied evaporant, consists of a material having a lower density than the evaporant to float at the surface of the evaporant and extend a predetermined distance below the surface substantially less than the depth of the melt.
  • a melt consisting of a uranium evaporant and a specifically dimensioned tantalum matrix provides the advantage of a convective heat flow barrier while at the same time permitting a substantial depletion of the uranium evaporant by high vaporization rates before replenishment of the uranium is required.
  • FIG. 1 is a sectional schematic view of uranium enrichment apparatus in which the present invention is useful
  • FIG. 2 is a pictorial view, partially in section, of an electron beam evaporation source employing the present invention.
  • FIGS. 3A-3B are respective top and sectional views of an evaporation melt according to a first experiment illustrating the invention.
  • the present invention contemplates a melt for an electron beam evaporation source having a matrix of particular characteristics to not only impede the flow of convection currents in the melt but to, by floating on the surface, provide a significantly large range of melt levels over which uranium may be successfully evaporated from the melt by the electron beam before the matrix runs dry.
  • the matrix is structured in a geometric pattern and fabricated from a material having a lower density than the evaporant by such an amount that the matrix structure will float at the surface of the melt without protruding above the surface excessively.
  • a structure for the matrix is chosen to generally maintain at the surface an effective convection barrier while at the same time permitting more slowly moving wicking currents to replenish the evaporant at the surface. It is to be understood, however, that a nonrigid, structured form for the matrix may also be employed. The actual structure of the invention may now be understood by reference to the drawings.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown schematically and in section a single chamber 12 for laser enrichment apparatus according to the techniques described in the above-incorporated U.S. Pat. No. 3,772,519 and patent application Ser. No. 328,954, filed Feb. 2, 1973 and Ser. No. 469,407, filed May 13, 1974.
  • the chamber 12 is evacuated by a vacuum system 14 to maintain a low pressure of typically 10 - 5 torr in the region above a uranium vapor source 16.
  • the vapor source 16 is shown to comprise a crucible 18 having a plurality of water conducting cooling ports 20 and containing a melt 22 which includes the uranium evaporant.
  • An electron beam is provided from a filament 24 around an anode 26 to the surface of the melt 22 to produce local heating along a line of the surface.
  • the vaporized uranium radially expands above the melt 22 into an ion separator 28 which may be as described in the above-referenced United States patent or applications, and which receives finely tuned laser radiation to produce isotopically selective excitation of typically the U-235 isotope in the uranium vapor and in which crossed magnetic and electric fields from coils 30 and voltage source 32 produce acceleration on the subsequently ionized particles for separate collection thereof on a surface.
  • the coils 30 also produce the magnetic field 34 at an intensity of approximately one to a few hundred gauss in the region of the electron beam from filament 24 to provide beam focusing onto the surface of the melt 22.
  • a coil current source 36 provides the electrical excitation to the coils 30.
  • the filament 24 is heated by a filament heater current source 40 of typically 1,000 watts capacity, and the current for the electron beam itself is provided from a source 42 which maintains a potential of approximately 30 Kv between the filament 24 and crucible 18.
  • the electron beam evaporation source 16 is shown in pictorial and sectional view in a more complete presentation.
  • the crucible 18 is elongate in the dimension of filament 24.
  • the filament 24 is shown to be supported at a first end by a strut 44 and the anode 26 supported by a strut 46. Similar struts are provided at the opposite ends of the filament 24 and anode 26 for support and tensioning thereof.
  • the melt 22 consists of a uranium supply 48 and a matrix structure or mass 50 which floats at the surface of the melt 22 with relatively slight exposure of the top of the structure 50 above the melt 22.
  • a substantial volume of uranium metal below the matrix 50 is provided in the melt 22 to permit evaporation of a great deal of uranium before the matrix structure 50 "bottoms out” on the crucible 18 and the supply of uranium 48 is no longer sufficient to reach nearly to the top of the structure 50.
  • the evaporation source may be conveniently operated.
  • An automatic uranium supply feed may be employed to refill the crucible with uranium 48 after a predetermined amount of the supply has been expended.
  • Weight or other detection means may be employed to automatically monitor this condition and activate the uranium feed.
  • the material for the matrix structure 50 comprises tantalum which has the desired advantage of a slightly lower density than the molten uranium, as well as a substantially lower vapor pressure such that negligible percentages of tantalum appear in the uranium vapor.
  • the difference in density between the uranium and tantalum permit the uranium to work very close to the surface of the matrix structure 50.
  • some tantalum in the structure 50 may be melted at the point of impact of the electron beam creating a slight depression in the structure at that point to expose the relatively pure uranium liquid for evaporation.
  • the convection currents in the described evaporation source typically flow outward at the surface and inward below the surface.
  • a flow barrier at the surface is directly effective to block heat loss by this mechanism at the point of maximum convective heat transfer.
  • the initial melt 22 may be achieved by placing a sufficient quantity of uranium rods or slugs on top of the tantalum matrix structure 50 in the bottom of the crucible 18 and melting the uranium through the matrix structure 50 to form a pool of molten uranium throughout most of the volume of the melt 22 with the matrix structure 50 floating at the surface.
  • the presence of the matrix structure 50 at the point of heating from the electron beam 25 to impede the flow of convection currents to the walls of the crucible 18 provides a substantial increase in evaporation efficiency and vapor flow rate.
  • the limit on the convection currents will also induce solidification of some of the uranium in the melt 22 near the walls of the crucible 18 to limit corrosion of the crucible.
  • the form for the matrix structure 50 may be of any shape, solid or otherwise, which provides a sufficient impedance to the convection flow while at the same time maintains or permits the relatively slower wicking or replenishment currents of uranium into the region of the matrix 50 to permit evaporation from the surface.
  • the matrix structure consisted of a perforated, coiled band 52 of tantalum approximately 21/2 centimeters wide, or deep in the top view of FIG. 3A, and approximately 1/2 millimeter in thickness.
  • the tantalum matrix 52 was placed in a circular crucible 54 with uranium rods on top and a single electron beam 56 was focused to the center of the crucible to melt the uranium through the matrix 52 into the bottom of the crucible.
  • the electron beam 56 melted the exposed portions of the tantalum matrix 52 at the point of impact to create a depression as shown at region 58 in FIG. 3B exposing uranium to the surface at that point for efficient evaporation.
  • the melted tantalum did not appear to form a skin over the uranium which would impede uranium vaporization but flowed to the edges to the structure 52.
  • the resulting shape shown in FIG. 3B with a depression toward the center of the matrix 52 provided for a substantial increase in uranium vaporization over a similar vapor source with the matrix 52.
  • the vapor pressure of tantalum is approximately 3 orders of magnitude lower than that of uranium, it generally inhibits vaporization of the tantalum metal as spectrometric analysis of the resulting vapor from the experiment confirmed.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Biophysics (AREA)
  • Physical Vapour Deposition (AREA)
  • Manufacture And Refinement Of Metals (AREA)
US05/538,881 1975-01-06 1975-01-06 Floating convection barrier for evaporation source Expired - Lifetime US3996469A (en)

Priority Applications (14)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US05/538,881 US3996469A (en) 1975-01-06 1975-01-06 Floating convection barrier for evaporation source
AU87884/75A AU508034B2 (en) 1975-01-06 1975-12-24 Isotope separator employing a floating matrix
IL48720A IL48720A (en) 1975-01-06 1975-12-24 Isotope separator
NL7515181A NL7515181A (nl) 1975-01-06 1975-12-30 Dampbron voor een materiaal met een hoge verdam- pingstemperatuur.
DE19752559065 DE2559065A1 (de) 1975-01-06 1975-12-30 Verdampfungs-vorrichtung
SE7514744A SE7514744L (sv) 1975-01-06 1975-12-30 Forangningsanordning, serskilt for forangning av uran.
GB53292/75A GB1534140A (en) 1975-01-06 1975-12-31 Floating convection barrier for evaporation source
CA242,882A CA1043874A (en) 1975-01-06 1975-12-31 Floating convection current barrier for evaporation source melts
IT47526/76A IT1052892B (it) 1975-01-06 1976-01-05 Barriera di conversione galleggiante per una sorgente di evaporazione
FR7600083A FR2296457A1 (fr) 1975-01-06 1976-01-05 Source de vapeur d'un metal a temperature elevee de vaporisation
ES444100A ES444100A1 (es) 1975-01-06 1976-01-05 Fuente de vapor para material que tiene una elevada tempera-tura de evaporacion.
BE163325A BE837327A (fr) 1975-01-06 1976-01-06 Source de vapeur d'un metal a temperature elevee de vaporisation
CH7076A CH603225A5 (sv) 1975-01-06 1976-01-06
JP51000103A JPS5193781A (sv) 1975-01-06 1976-01-06

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US05/538,881 US3996469A (en) 1975-01-06 1975-01-06 Floating convection barrier for evaporation source

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US3996469A true US3996469A (en) 1976-12-07

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US05/538,881 Expired - Lifetime US3996469A (en) 1975-01-06 1975-01-06 Floating convection barrier for evaporation source

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US (1) US3996469A (sv)
JP (1) JPS5193781A (sv)
AU (1) AU508034B2 (sv)
BE (1) BE837327A (sv)
CA (1) CA1043874A (sv)
CH (1) CH603225A5 (sv)
DE (1) DE2559065A1 (sv)
ES (1) ES444100A1 (sv)
FR (1) FR2296457A1 (sv)
GB (1) GB1534140A (sv)
IL (1) IL48720A (sv)
IT (1) IT1052892B (sv)
NL (1) NL7515181A (sv)
SE (1) SE7514744L (sv)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4124801A (en) * 1976-09-24 1978-11-07 Phrasor Technology Incorporated Apparatus and process for separating materials
US4251725A (en) * 1979-08-06 1981-02-17 Honeywell Inc. Programmed sample pyrolysis for mass spectrometer
US4472453A (en) * 1983-07-01 1984-09-18 Rca Corporation Process for radiation free electron beam deposition
JPS6270576A (ja) * 1985-09-21 1987-04-01 Kawasaki Steel Corp 大量蒸気流発生用蒸発源装置

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA2023044A1 (en) * 1990-08-09 1992-02-10 Naoum Araj Vessel for evaporation of low-temperature melting material
DE102021129537A1 (de) 2021-11-12 2023-05-17 VON ARDENNE Asset GmbH & Co. KG Verfahren, Verdampfungsanordnung und Verwendung einer Konvektionsbarriere

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3544763A (en) * 1965-12-18 1970-12-01 Bendix Corp Apparatus for the evaporation of materials in a vacuum
US3695217A (en) * 1969-06-13 1972-10-03 Aga Ab Vapor deposition apparatus
US3772519A (en) * 1970-03-25 1973-11-13 Jersey Nuclear Avco Isotopes Method of and apparatus for the separation of isotopes

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3329524A (en) * 1963-06-12 1967-07-04 Temescal Metallurgical Corp Centrifugal-type vapor source
US3414655A (en) * 1966-01-26 1968-12-03 Nat Res Corp Apparatus for evaporation of low temperature semiconductor material by electron beam impingement on the material and comprising means for draining electric charge from the material

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3544763A (en) * 1965-12-18 1970-12-01 Bendix Corp Apparatus for the evaporation of materials in a vacuum
US3695217A (en) * 1969-06-13 1972-10-03 Aga Ab Vapor deposition apparatus
US3772519A (en) * 1970-03-25 1973-11-13 Jersey Nuclear Avco Isotopes Method of and apparatus for the separation of isotopes

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4124801A (en) * 1976-09-24 1978-11-07 Phrasor Technology Incorporated Apparatus and process for separating materials
US4251725A (en) * 1979-08-06 1981-02-17 Honeywell Inc. Programmed sample pyrolysis for mass spectrometer
US4472453A (en) * 1983-07-01 1984-09-18 Rca Corporation Process for radiation free electron beam deposition
JPS6270576A (ja) * 1985-09-21 1987-04-01 Kawasaki Steel Corp 大量蒸気流発生用蒸発源装置
JPH0325508B2 (sv) * 1985-09-21 1991-04-08 Kawasaki Steel Co

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2296457B1 (sv) 1979-07-20
ES444100A1 (es) 1977-08-16
BE837327A (fr) 1976-05-03
GB1534140A (en) 1978-11-29
IL48720A (en) 1979-01-31
DE2559065A1 (de) 1976-07-08
NL7515181A (nl) 1976-07-08
CA1043874A (en) 1978-12-05
AU508034B2 (en) 1980-03-06
CH603225A5 (sv) 1978-08-15
IT1052892B (it) 1981-07-20
SE7514744L (sv) 1976-07-07
IL48720A0 (en) 1976-03-31
JPS5193781A (sv) 1976-08-17
FR2296457A1 (fr) 1976-07-30
AU8788475A (en) 1977-06-30

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